New Beginnings?
by cassandrahearts
Summary: Max moves to Arizona to live with her Mom and sister Ella after years of being sick of her father, Jeb. It's the first day of school, and Max already got invited to the biggest party of the year. She meets the Flock, and they discover Max has wings. Lissa the school skank, has been all over Fang...but Max comes up with a plan to get rid of her once and for all, and make Fang hers!
1. Chapter 1

** Hey guys! Finally have a free weekend to do some updating. Anyway, here's a new idea I had! Let me know what you think.**

I walked into class on my first day of school. I was sick of Jeb and decided to move to Arizona with my mom for my senior year. So here I was, starting all over again at a new school, with new people and probably new drama. I wanted to leave that place behind, forget about my father, and start fresh.

I took a seat at a table near the back of the room about ten minutes before class started. My English teacher, Mrs. Sanchez, came into the class and greeted me while setting her books down on her desk. "Good morning, you must be Maximum."

"Good morning, you can call me Max," I replied, with a sheepish smile on my face.

"It's great to meet you, Max. Welcome to Arizona," Mrs. Sanchez said kindly.

"Thank you," I replied, as my eyes followed a few girls that walked into the class. They looked pretty nice, wearing basic jean shorts and t-shirts. I was wearing a flow-y white top with peach shorts, and outfit that my younger sister Ella picked out for me. If it was up to me, I'd be wearing plain shorts and a t-shirt like everyone else.

A few other kids filed into the class, some laughing and happy to see their friends after a dry Arizona summer, and some looking like they just rolled out of bed and had no energy. A couple boys came in next. One had bright, glassy blue eyes and blond hair, while the other had dark hair and beautiful dark brown eyes. The blond one was talking a-mile-a-minute while I caught eyes with the darker one. His deep brown eyes held my gaze and I felt a spark inside me, like he was someone that I hadn't seen in years and had just rekindled with. His eyes stayed connected with mine until he took a seat a few rows behind me.

A loud bell rung and I practically jumped out of my seat. An announcement came over the intercom, and the principle spoke and welcomed everyone back for a new year. All throughout the announcement, I felt his eyes on my back and had this…_feeling_. It wasn't bad, but I just felt him there and couldn't shake it off.

"Good morning, class. My name is Mrs. Sanchez, welcome to Advanced American Literature. Why don't we all start of by introducing ourselves and saying what our favorite classic novel is."

A guy with dirty blond hair immediately stood up and introduced himself to the class. "I'm Dylan Waters, and my favorite novel is Huckleberry Finn." Gosh, I couldn't stand that kid already. He just seemed so pretentious and full of himself. A few of his follower friends stood up and clapped, showing their idiotic attitudes off to the class.

"No need to clap," Mrs. Sanchez said, casting them a dirty look.

More and more kids stood up, introducing themselves, until I realized it was my turn. I stood up and faced the majority of the class and said, "Hi, I'm Max Ride, and my favorite classic is Wuthering Heights." Everyone just stared at me with blank faces, showing no signs of welcome. I quickly sat down, feeling my face heat up.

"My name's Fang, favorite classic is also Wuthering Heights," I heard a voice say, and instantly I knew it was _his_. It just sounded right, and strangely familiar. I felt that spark inside myself again, and fidgeted in my seat to make it go away. I quickly glanced behind me to confirm I was right; the voice _did_ belong to him.

After more introductions and a class filled with awkward ice-breakers, the bell finally rang. I gathered up my books and stood up, only to find Fang and his blond friend, who was named Iggy, standing in front of me.

"Max, welcome to Arizona," Iggy said, handing me a small sheet of paper. I looked down and saw an address scribbled on it in blue ink. "Party tonight at Fang's house, you should come and meet some people."

"Thanks," I said, lightly smiling at Iggy. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to come," I added, looking up at Fang who was at least a head taller than me.

"Well, hopefully you'll be able to," Iggy said while Fang stayed silent. They walked out of the class and left me alone with Mrs. Sanchez. I quickly scurried out of the class, so I could get the rest of the day over with.

I got home and threw my backpack on the floor, already missing my summer freedom. This year was going to be hard, since I was taking all advanced classes and didn't know anyone. My goal was to keep up good grades and stay away from drama. After all, college was only one year away and I wanted to get into a good one.

"How was the first day?" My mom asked, sliding a plate of cookies across the counter at me.

"Fine," I answered. "These cookies just made it ten thousand times better, though."

My mom chuckled and tried one herself, smiling in delight. "Anything exciting happen?"

"Not really," I answered truthfully, sitting at a stool along the counter. I felt something poking at my thigh, and reached in my pocket to find out what it was. I pulled out the slip of folded up paper and showed it to my mom. "I got invited to a party tonight."

She read the address and smiled. "Oh, that's the Walker's house. They have a son about your age- is it Fang?" I nodded. "You should go, it'll be good to meet some kids."

"I don't know, it might be weird since I won't know anyone," I answered, ungracefully shoving another cookie down my throat.

"You'll be able to meet people though, and worse case, just come home," She said, in a very convincing way. "It'll be fun."

"Okay," I answered, then headed up to my room. I figured I'd relax and watch some TV for a while to chill out after a long day.

"MAX! It's practically seven o'clock, you must've fallen asleep," Ella said, barging into my room. "You have to get ready for the party! It starts at seven, but you should be fashionably late and show up at eight."

"Huh?" I grumbled, rolling over to face Ella.

"UP!" She yelled in my face, grabbing my arms and promptly pulling me out of bed. I fluttered my wings (oh yeah, did I mention those babies?) and ran my fingers through my hair. "I think I have the perfect dress for you to wear," She said.

I followed her into her room and sighed as she dug through her closet. "Ah, perfect." She pulled out a short, lacey dress. It was white and looked like it would fall just above the knee, with somewhat a low neckline and short sleeves. She threw a jean jacket on the bed, and pulled out a pair of gold, flat gladiator sandals.

She piled everything in my arms and shuffled me into the bathroom. I was still half asleep and barely knew what I was doing. I slowly changed into the outfit she gave me and stared at myself in the mirror. Gosh, she was making me so girly. I like jeans, and tank tops. I did look really cute though…

I opened the door and walked into the hallway to show her what I was wearing. "PERFECT." She handed me a champagne colored headband that had a snakeskin pattern on it, and scrunched my hair through her hands. "You're so pretty, Max." Before I even had time to thank her, she was covering my face in powder, right there in the hall.

"_No _makeup, please," I begged, but she didn't stop. She put some bronzer on me and then forced me to stay still as she applied eyeliner and mascara.

"Oh, Max. You look amazing, let's go show mom!" We climbed downstairs and my mother beamed when she saw me, agreeing how beautiful I looked.

"I better head out," I said, realizing it was 7:45 p.m. already. I grabbed my car keys and cell phone as they hugged me goodbye. I plugged Fang's address into the GPS on my phone, and drove about twenty minutes until I got to his house. I parked along the street, and stepped out of the car. His house was huge, a mansion really. It was a cream color and had big columns, with large inviting wooden doors. I rang the doorbell and waited outside for about two seconds until someone opened the door. As soon as the door swung open, I was blasted with loud music and the gross smell of sweaty people.

"Hey, Max!" Iggy quickly pulled me inside and closed the door behind him. It was pretty dark inside since the sun had just gone down, except for the flashing lights that were bouncing all around the walls of the foyer. "Glad you made it. Drinks are in the kitchen-" he pointed me in the right direction, "and the pool is outback. Make yourself at home, I'll let Fang know you're here."

I saw a girl from my literature class who smiled at me. She had dark skin and curly hair, and was standing next to a girl who looked a few years younger. The dark one was named Nudge. I walked over and said hi.

"OMG, Max. You're going to love it here, I love it here. Fang always throws the best parties. Well, really, it's more like Iggy throws the best parties at Fang's house. This is Angel, who's Fang's sister. She's really cute, isn't she cute? OMG, you should totally-"

A hand covered Nudge's mouth, and I saw Fang standing behind her. "Okay, well obviously you met Nudge. She talks all the time," He said. "That's my sister Angel." Angel smiled sweetly at me; her name suited her perfectly. "Why don't you come outside and I'll introduce you to a few people."

I could barely hear him over the pounding music, but followed him out back where it was a little quieter. It smelled like twilight outside, and there were a few people mingling on the pool deck. His backyard was beautiful, with a large pool, a cabana, a big lawn with lush grass, and a hammock in the corner. There were some candles and tiki torches lit up around the pool deck, romantically illuminating the scene.

Fang looked so…hot, in his black t-shirt and shorts. So simple, but polished. He lead me over to a few girls who looked kind of nasty. "Max, this is Lissa, Lissa, this is Max." A tall redhead with wild hair stood up in front of me. She was wearing a skimpy green bathing suit and looked like she was trying way too hard.

"Hmph," She muttered, practically glaring at me from head to toe, then sat back down. I glanced over at Fang and he kind of rolled his eyes.

"Max, this is Brigid, Lissa's friend." Another redhead, who was a litter nicer, stood up and greeted me much better than Lissa had.

"This is Dylan, from English," Fang said, gesturing to the guy who was talking to Lissa and Brigid.

"Well hello there, Max," Dylan slurred, kind of sounding drunk. "You look beautiful tonight," He said, his eyes raking over my body and resting in certain places a little too long.

"Thanks," I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest.

"_Dylan_," Fang said assertively, eyeing him with a strong look. "Cut it out."

"Aw, Fangy, I missed you at school today," Lissa said, drawing his attention away from Dylan. Fang didn't look amused, as Lissa kept saying stupid things to him in front of me.

"So Max," Dylan said, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. He reeked of alcohol. "Want something to drink?" I shook my head in response. "Relax," he said, shaking my shoulders a little to loosen me up. I didn't comply. His arm began sliding down my back, until it was around my waist with his hand resting on my hip.

As soon as Fang caught sight of that, he pulled me out of Dylan's disgusting grip. "I'm sorry about him. I don't know how he snuck alcohol, but he did. Just ignore him and don't let him touch you; trust me, you _do not_ want to get involved with that guy."

Fang let go of my arm after he had successfully gotten my away from Dylan's grip, but I immediately missed the feeling of Fang holding on to me. I already felt connected with him, even though I had known him for a day. Something between us was electric.

I thanked Fang for getting me away from Dylan and mingled with some people. Nudge and I ended up hanging out most of the night and she introduced me to a lot of kids from our grade. She did talk a ton, but at least she was pretty nice to me. I made my way into the kitchen and realized it was already eleven o'clock. I was the only one in there and needed something to drink. I grabbed a red cup and was going to fill it up with some water, when I heard someone else walk in. Dylan.

"Oh, Max, nice to see you again," He said, walking into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and pulled out a can of beer. "Here, I'll pour this for you," he mumbled, grabbing a different cup and pouring the can in.

"I'm all set, I just wanted some water," I said, trying to stay far away from him like Fang advised. Dylan refused my decline and brought the beer over towards me. But of course, on his way over he tripped, and managed to spill the sticky liquid all over me and my dress. I stood there in shock as I replayed the whole scene in my head.

"I'm sorry, let me clean that up for you," Dylan slurred, grabbing a towel and pressing it on my body. I pushed him away as hard as I could and escaped the kitchen. As I was leaving, I ran into something hard. Oh wait, that was Fang.

"Max, what happened?" He asked, staring down at my now stained dress. "Come with me, I'll grab you some clean clothes."

"Dylan spilled beer on me in the kitchen," I told him, following him up a grand stair case.

"He's so stupid," Fang said, leading me down a hall way and into a room. I figured it was his bedroom, considering the walls were navy blue, which perfectly suited him. There was a bed, a dresser, and a TV in the room with big open windows overlooking the backyard.

I instantly took off my jean jacket, in a hurry to get the gross, sticky clothes off my body. Fang laid out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt on his bed for me. "Thank you so much," I told him, as he turned to go.

"No problem, just come back down when you're ready," He said sweetly, his eyes lingering on mine.

"Wait," I said, as I struggled to pull my dress off as he left the room. Fang poked his head in the door. "Can you unzip my dress?"

"Oh…sure," Fang said. He came back in the room, and I turned away from him pulling my hair over my shoulder. I couldn't _wait_ to get this thing off. I hate dresses, and I hate beer.

I felt Fang's warm fingers graze my neck as he found the zipper to my dress. He gently tugged it downwards, and froze when he had unzipped my dress about halfway down my back. "Is it stuck?" I asked, wriggling a bit to try to get it unstuck.

Then I remembered.

I had wings.

I was paralyzed, my lungs stopped, and everything froze except for the blood gushing through my veins. I turned around after what felt like years to see Fang's shocked face staring back at mine. "Fang…"

In the next moment, Fang had already pulled off his shirt and unfurled a beautiful pair of raven wings. Okay, now _I_ was the shocked one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's a kind of short chapter, but keep reviewing and tell me what you think!**

_I felt Fang's warm fingers graze my neck as he found the zipper to my dress. He gently tugged it downwards, and froze when he had unzipped my dress about halfway down my back. "Is it stuck?" I asked, wriggling a bit to try to get it unstuck._

_ Then I remembered._

_ I had wings._

_ I was paralyzed, my lungs stopped, and everything froze except for the blood gushing through my veins. I turned around after what felt like years to see Fang's shocked face staring back at mine. "Fang…"_

_ In the next moment, Fang had already pulled off his shirt and unfurled a beautiful pair of raven wings. Okay, now I was the shocked one._

"Don't tell me you didn't feel that spark this morning when our eyes met," Fang gently moved towards me, placing his warm hand on my arm, sending another electric current through me. "There. Didn't you feel that?"

I looked up at him with my eyes as big as saucers. I nodded quickly, agreeing about our connection that we both seemed to feel. "Yeah, I feel it," I whispered, still shocked. My eyes darted towards his wings as he lightly fluttered them, reminding us both that they were there.

I wanted to reach out and touch them, but I thought it might make the situation crazier than it was. Instead, Fang slid his hand down my arm until his fingers intertwined with mine. "I knew you were different, Maximum Ride," Fang cooed. By now we were only inches apart, our faces tantalizingly close to each other. "Let me see them," He said, brushing his fingertips over my shoulders and down to my wings, sending a shiver down my spine.

I gently rolled my shoulders back and opened up my wings, revealing the intricate feathers and color patterns. Fang's eyes traced my wings from tip to tip, and a subconscious smile spread across his face. "Max, they're beautiful."

I felt my face blushing. No one had really ever called my wings beautiful, besides Jeb and my mom. "Thank you," I smiled. Our eyes met and the moment was intense, but relaxed. This warm sensation spread through my body, and in that moment, I felt happy. Safe. Comfortable. Even though my dress was half hanging off my body and I just got beer spilled on me, I was happy.

"I'm really glad you moved here. So just to let you know, Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Gazzy have wings too. If you want, I don't have to tell them about yours yet," Fang suggested, breaking the silence and our gaze.

I reached over to the bed and pulled the dark blue t-shirt over my head and dress. It passed over my hips, so I pulled my dress down. The t-shirt ended around mid-thigh, practically dress length. I pulled the shorts on anyway as Fang watched my every move. It was kind of creepy, but he was probably just as intrigued with me as I was with him.

"You can tell them, but not too night. There's too many people floating around who could hear," I told him, pulling my hair out of the shirt and letting it cascade down my back. I looked kind of ridiculous in his clothes, but I had to admit they were extremely comfortable.

"Okay," He flashed me a smile. "You look cute, by the way," He winked at me and I punched his shoulder lightly.

"Oh, stop."

"Max," his voice was suddenly husky and dropped lower than usual. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, causing my breath to hitch. "You're not like the rest. Don't forget that."

"Fang-" I began to protest, but he shushed me.

"No, Max. Listen. I know not everyone is friendly around here, but you need to remember these-" he rubbed my wings lightly through my shirt, causing me to sigh, "and how strong you are."

Was he warning me of something? Should I be worried about the people here? I had no clue what he meant, but all I did know was that my arms had somehow found their way around his neck, bringing us closer than we had ever been. I felt like I had known him my whole life, and I had only known him for a day.

Fang and I finally separated apart and awkwardly walked down the stairs together and back to the party. Most of the people were cleared out, except for Iggy, Dylan, Lissa, Brigid, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. Lissa and Dylan were hanging over each other for support, both looking so drunk that they'd collapse. Brigid was ushering them out to the car, but not with protests from Lissa. "I need to kiss Fangles goodnight," She mumbled, pulling away from Brigid. Brigid rolled her eyes and dragged her outside.

"Dylan, we're leaving, now!" Brigid yelled, seeming like she was the only one with some common sense. Before I knew what had happened, Dylan was all over me, pinned me against the wall, and kissed my lips. He tasted of alcohol and smelled disgusting. I was trying to push him away or yell in protest, but I couldn't. Luckily, Fang and Iggy yanked him off of me. Not to mention, Fang socked him in the gut once or twice, too.

After that whole fiasco ended and the three people I hated were gone, Fang rushed over to me. "Max, are you alright?" He lightly pressed his lips to my forehead, and I heard all of the others gasp. I looked up at Fang, nodding. But he got my double meaning.

I opened up my wings, right there in the foyer of Fang Walker's house, showing a bunch of people I had just met my biggest secret. "OMG," Nudge was the first to react. She rambled on for hours until the others shut her up. They all piled around me and gave me hugs, welcoming me to "the flock", or what they called themselves. I felt so happy as Fang looked on as he leaned against the doorjamb.

After Iggy took his hand off Nudge's mouth, she kept going. "I can't believe there's more of us out there. I wonder if there's more, outside all of us? Well maybe there is, since we didn't know about Max. Wait, what if there are no more bird kid after us? We'll have to make more. OMG, Max and Fang already are in love so they could have babies. They'd be so cute together and their-"

Okay, I caught on and may or may not have slapped my hand over Nudge's mouth like Iggy had done earlier. By now my face was beet red, and Fang's head was in his hands. I saw him chuckling though. I didn't think Nudge was so funny.

After we all had settled down, we decided to move into the living room. Fang and I sat on a small couch together, while Iggy, Gazzy, and Angel sat on a bigger one. Nudge cozied up in a bean bag chair. It was around midnight, so I figured I'd have to go home soon. The latest mom would want me home was one.

Angel and Nudge picked some romantic movie and we all settled in. Somehow, Fang had managed to wrap his arm around me while I was leaning back against his chest. I saw a few glances from the others, but I didn't really pay attention. I was so tired, and felt myself drifting off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Totally on a roll! This will be it though, for the night! Hope you guys enjoy these chapters. Make sure you keep reviewing and tell me what you want to see. I'm totally open to all suggestions!**

_Angel and Nudge picked some romantic movie and we all settled in. Somehow, Fang had managed to wrap his arm around me while I was leaning back against his chest. I saw a few glances from the others, but I didn't really pay attention. I was so tired, and felt myself drifting off to sleep._

My eyelids felt heavy with sleep as I tried to open them, but as soon as I realized I wasn't in my bed at home, my eyes shot open. Where was I? Who was I leaning on, and what time was it? Oh, right. I'm at Fang Walker's house, lying in Fang Walker's arms.

I glanced around for a clock, but couldn't find one. Everyone was fast asleep with the TV still blaring the cheesy romance movie, with the two characters on screen kissing. I dug into the pocket of the shorts I was wearing and found my phone. It was 2:30 AM, and I had about ten thousand missed calls from my mom.

I wiggled out of Fang's arms and ran to the kitchen where I could make a phone call without waking the others. I quickly dialed my house's number and heard my mom pick up on the other end. "Maximum Ride, I've been worried sick about you. Do you know what time it is?'

"Mom, I'm _so_ sorry. A few of us were watching a movie and we all fell asleep. I'll be home as soon as I can," I told her, trying to apologize as best as I could.

"I really don't want you driving at this hour…you're probably really exhausted and who knows what kind of people are out on the road," She answered, sounding more tired than I was. She certainly wasn't going to pick me up.

"Max?" I heard someone say from the doorway. I quickly turned around and saw Fang leaning against the wall on the other side of the kitchen. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, looking totally wiped out. "You can stay here for the night if you need to," he offered.

I smiled at Fang and mouthed a "thank you". "Mom, Fang said I could just stay here tonight. Is that okay?" I yawned into the phone, completely forgetting to cover my mouth. I mean, who has manners this late at night, anyway?

"I guess, honey. Let's not let this happen again though. Be careful, I'll talk to you in the morning." We both said goodbye and hung up. I slid my phone back into my pocket and approached Fang.

"Thank you _so so_ much, Fang," I told him, flashing him a sleepy smile.

"No problem. Come with me," he said, his voice sounding raspy, yet adorable. I followed him up the stairs like before, back into his room. I saw my clothes still sprawled out on his bed, and quickly folded them up. "You can stay in here, I'm gonna crash on the floor," He said, pulling back the blankets on the bed for me to climb under.

"Stop, you're being ridiculous. I'll sleep on the floor, it's no big deal," I said, grabbing a pillow off the bed and placing it on the floor. I got down and laid on the floor, closing my eyes and starting to relax, until…

Fang's arms swooped under my back and behind my knees. He easily picked me up and gently placed me on his bed. "_You're_ being ridiculous." He tucked me under the blankets and I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "Good night, I'll see you in the morning," he said, pulling his fluffy comforter up to my chin.

I heard him settle down on the floor, and after a while, his breathing became heavier. I could tell he was asleep, and for some weird reason, I felt at home.

"Good morning, _lovebirds,_" I heard a voice snicker, as someone whipped open the shades. Fang's room was suddenly illuminated with bright sunlight.

"…Lovebirds?" I groaned, throwing my arm over my eyes to block the sun. "Who?"

"Fang has never had a girl sleep over. Even if he did sleep on the floor, this is big news for him. Breakfast is in five," Iggy said with a malicious voice, then left the room. I looked over Fang, who was looking back at me.

"Hey," he said, running a hand through his long hair. He sat up and opened his wings, stretching them out for the day. I watched his wings move, saw every muscle flinch and every feather rustle. It was beautiful, really.

"Hi," I answered, "Thanks again for letting me crash. It was really nice of you," I told him, standing up. I stretched out my arms and wings, like he had done a moment earlier. "Look, Fang…about last night…"

"I'm sorry, I think we both got a little carried away. It was just really excited to find someone else…like me," He said, standing up. I just realized he was practically a whole head taller than me. "We took things a little quicker than I'm used to."

"I was about to say the same thing. Glad we're on the same page," I said, glancing at the clock on his bedside table. 7:30 am. School started at nine. We both kind of nodded in agreement, and silence fell over us.

"So," Fang finally said, breaking the awkward moment. "If you want to shower, you can use my bathroom," Fang pointed over to a door in the corner of his room. "We can call Nudge and have her bring you over an outfit. I think she's coming over for breakfast anyway."

"That would be great," I said. Fang opened up his closet and handed me a blue towel. I smiled and thanked him.

I took a nice, long shower in Fang's bathroom. Everything in here was either navy blue or black, obviously his two favorite colors. It felt really good to take a hot shower after such a crazy night last night. When I got out of the shower, I wrapped myself up in a towel and realized I didn't have any clothes.

I slowly opened up the door to the bedroom and poked my head inside. "Uh, Fang?" Fang was facing away from me, in nothing but a pair of boxers, while pulling a shirt over his head. His wings were shiny and dark, and his back looked really muscular.

"Hey Max," he said, next grabbing a pair of jeans to tug on. I pretended I was unfazed by his little show, but I could feel my cheeks heating up. "Nudge brought you an outfit," He grabbed a pile of folded clothes off his bed and walked them over to me. I made sure my towel was tightly wrapped around my body before taking them.

I changed into the outfit as quick as I could. Pink shorts and white tank top; not my style but it was good enough. I scurried down the stairs and found the whole gang eating some breakfast. Gazzy, who was Iggy's little brother, was here, along with Iggy, Nudge, Angel, and Fang. They all greeted me and served me up a plate.

What a delicious start to another crazy day.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the late update, I've been so busy with all my classes. But I'm home sick, and if you've been following my stories, you know I write the most when I'm sick! Enjoy!**

A few weeks had gone by since the party. After another boring day at my new school, I walked out to the parking lot with Fang, which turned out to be the most interesting part of my day. Fang had offered to give me a ride home since Ella had to stay after for something and I didn't want to. As we reached the edge of the parking lot, I heard an overly cheery voice say,

"Hi, Fang!"

Fang groaned and glanced at me, his eyes telling me he didn't want to deal with this right now. We both turned around and saw Lissa, I think, the girl from last night, waving furiously over at Fang. Her long red hair was curled perfectly around her face, her shirt cut an inch or two lower than usual, and her shorts were practically underwear.

"Lissa…" Fang said, trying not to sound too pained. "I actually have to go now," He said. At that moment, Lissa shot me the dirtiest, most bitchy face I had ever seen in my life. Was I scared? No. I just shot her a dirtier look right back at her.

"Well, uh," She said, walking closer to Fang and literally pushing me out of the way. "Maybe after you drop that _thing_ off," She motioned to me and pressed herself up against Fang, "we can do something together."

"Lissa, I can't," Fang said bluntly, pushing her off of himself and grabbing my arm, pulling me to his car. We heard Lissa huffing and puffing behind us, and I had to hold in my laugh. But as soon as we were both in his truck, I burst into laughter. Fang looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"You think she's funny? Fang asked me, fiddling with the radio. I nodded between laughs. Gosh, that girl was so pathetic and desperate. Fang didn't see that? "I thought it was too, at first. But she's serious. I have to deal with this every single day of my life!" Fang leaned his head back against the headrest and sighed.

After I calmed down, I glanced over at Fang. "Why don't you just get a girlfriend? That'll shut her up."

"No, I've tried. The girl always gets angry and breaks up with me because they think I'm cheating on them with Lissa," He groaned again, running his hands through his silky hair.

"Well, what if you _do_ date her?" I pondered, all the gears possibly spinning in my head.

"That's dumb. Then she'll have a reason to hang all over me."

"No, but what if you date her and then be awful, and she'll hate you?" When I looked over at him, his eyes had lit up and he looked kind of devious.

"Maximum Ride, that is _perfect_," He reached over and wrapped me in the tightest hug ever. I'm so glad Fang and I became friends. We just work together well, and his hugs are quite enjoyable. He pulled away and handed me the keys to his truck. "Here, just drive it to your house, I'll come pick it up later."

I smiled and gave him a light push out the door. I jumped over into the driver's seat and watched him in the mirrors as he sauntered over to Lissa's car, leaning in the window, and smiling at her.

I grinned as I pulled out of the parking lot, knowing that our little plan would work perfectly.

LINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEBREAKLINEB REAKLINEBREA

Around seven that night, there was a quick knock at my door. "Got it!" I yelled, so Ella or my Mom wouldn't have to. I opened it up, and Fang was there, holding a pizza and some root beer. I flashed him a smile and let him in. "Mom, Fang's here, we're going downstairs!"

"Okay, honey," She called back from upstairs. Fang and I headed down to the basement, and I hoped he had some good gossip for me. We settled on the comfy couches and attacked the pizza.

I practically moaned when I took my first bite. "This is delicious, thank you!" Fang chuckled in response and pulled me off another piece. "Tell me exactly what happened from the beginning," I said between bites.

Fang took a swig of his root beer and settled back against the armrest of the couch. "So first I walked over to her car and apologized, and told her that I'd never given her a fair chance. She almost died when I said that," Fang threw back his head with laughter, and I noticed something on the edge of his jaw.

"Fang, you got a little lipstick," I pointed to my jaw to show him where it was. He just laughed and wiped it away. They were already making out? Not that I care.

"So anyway, we went to the park and she talked the whole time, but to be honest I couldn't even tell you one thing she said. My gosh, she really talks," I followed Fang's dark eyes with mine as he rolled them. "And then she kind of attacked me. She's a disgusting kisser, let me tell you."

Fang grabbed some more pizza. Even if she _was_ a bad kisser, he still made out with her. That nasty girl, and he still kissed her.

"Max, you okay?" He waved his hand over my face and I snapped out of it. Was I jealous? Why would I be jealous? It's just Fang, we're friends.

"Sorry. So what's your plan going to be?" I asked him, finishing off my drink and wiping my face off with the back of my hand like the true lady I was.

"I'm just going to be me this week, then get really gross and annoying and make her break up with me. But the only thing is… I just don't want her to get revenge once we break up."

"This is going to be perfect. She won't want to get revenge if she doesn't like you anymore, it'll work out perfect!" Fang and I continued to scheme until we heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Hi Fang," My mom said, waving to him.

"Hi Ms. Ride," Fang said, turning his charm on.

"It's getting kind of late, start wrapping things up guys," My mom said, climbing back up the stairs.

I dug around in my sweatpants pockets until I found Fang's keys, and handed them to him. He thanked me and we slowly stood up, stretching out. I walked him up the stairs and we said goodbye, giving each other a light hug.

As soon as Fang left, I knew I'd have to go for a fly if I wanted to get any sleep tonight. Flying was the only time I could absolutely clear my mind. I pulled on a windbreaker and ran out the front door. It was dark, so no one would see me taking off into the night sky.

I flapped my wings hard, until I reached a desirable altitude where I could see the whole city below me. Was Fang going to follow through with the plans? What if he actually fell in love with that skank Lissa? She'd finally get her way, and they'd have little red headed wonder babies with beautiful dark eyes like Fang's…STOP Max. Fang's your friend.

But those eyes were gorgeous. Fang would be spending all his time with Lissa and I won't get to see him much for the next few weeks. I'd be his little secret, he'd come over to see me at night and discuss his smooch-fests with Lissa. Gosh, I'm sounding jealous. I've only known the guy a few weeks, how could I possibly be jealous? Jealous of the skank?

Images of Fang's crooked smile flashed behind my eyes, how happy I was around him, how he made me feel comfortable and safe. We were the same, we both had wings. WINGS. Weren't we destined to be together? No no no no no no. Fang was popular, the school hunk, and I was just the new girl that hung out with him. Did that make _me_ popular?

Bottom line, Fang might fall in love with Lissa, and there was _no way in hell_ I was going to let that happen. He's mine.


End file.
